Gulzar, 79, shares a special bond with Bhardwaj, who had composed music for his directorial venture "Macchis". Among other projects, the duo had teamed up for TV show "The Jungle Book".

Gulzar attended a retrospective of his films at the second edition of the Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF). Bhardwaj curated the retrospective, which began with "Mere Apne". Gulzar said, "It is a beautiful moment for me that Vishal is presenting my films here. He is my son. I say it because I like him. That is why he is my son. Many a time I have said this that I see an extension in him. Just because of him, I have been able to live longer than my age. He is amongst the closest to me," he said.

Even Bhardwaj admitted that Gulzar is his mentor and father like to him, and that it would be an incomparable experience to watch his films with him.